


Sand Castle Wars

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beach Trip, Cute, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, Multi, Post-Olympics, healthy competition, sand castles, sunshine boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 09:35:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15070319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto/pseuds/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto
Summary: Jeremy takes his boyfriend Kevin to the beach and engages him in a sand castle building competition.





	Sand Castle Wars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fuzzballsheltiepants](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzballsheltiepants/gifts).



“We could be practicing those plays we came up with last week,” Kevin complains from the front passenger seat of Jeremy’s car. Although he is longing for the court, he looks relaxed in red and gold swim trunks, shirtless, deep russet skin slathered in sunscreen and wearing sunglasses to shield himself from the fiery Californian sun.

“Come on babe!” Jeremy lets out a genuine laugh, beaming from the driver’s seat. His brilliant white smile stands out against his golden tan and dressed identically to his boyfriend and USA Court teammate. “It’s a beautiful summer day, we took home _gold_ last week and our favorite trio is visiting us! We can take a break and have a good time on the beach.”

Kevin cracks a smile at this and squeezes Jeremy’s hand. True, they destroyed Japan in the Exy Olympics Final and took home gold. It had been one of the most satisfying moments in his entire exy career when the final buzzer signaled the end of the game, beating Japan by two points. He glances at the back seat to find Jean with Neil leaning against his chest and Andrew with Neil’s legs in his lap - all of them with their eyes closed. The five of them and Thea lead the USA team to victory and yeah, he supposes they can have a break _today_.

“Alright, fine,” Kevin gives in and looks away from Jeremy’s beaming face to look out his window, staring at the coastline. He’s got his amazing boyfriend Jeremy, his three friends and an hour in traffic to get to Santa Monica Beach, but… “We can still talk about the recruits for the next season in the meantime.” He grins when Jeremy laughs again but ultimately agrees.

 

\---

 

“What do you mean this is your first time visiting Santa Monica!?” Jeremy gasps as they walk along the pavement to the beach, having left his car in a parking garage. “We’ve been together for _three years_ , just, HOW?”

Kevin shrugs, looking around the boulevard, offering his stage smile to any people that recognize him. “Three years and you never tried to drag me here,” he decides to counter.

Jeremy, grabbing Kevin’s hand in both of his, batting his golden eyelashes. “Baby, we were on different professional teams for the first two and we were busy training for the Olympics after you moved in last January. It was _too cold_ then!”

“ _Baby_ ,” Kevin has to sigh at his boyfriend’s antics, but still gives him a gentle kiss that has Andrew and Neil snickering at - Jean just made a gagging noise - and flips them off. “I have two loves in my life Exy and… -another kiss- _you_.” He smiles at how Jeremy melts, vaguely aware of a couple fangirls at a by-the-pier- shop, giggling.

“But which do you love more?” Jeremy teases, eyes widening when Kevin looks away, laughing nervously. “NO!” He looks back at the unreadable expression of Jean with his jaw agape and then back at his boyfriend who is rubbing the back of his neck. “Y-you better not mean that!” He melts again when his face is cupped and then kissed breathless.

“You _play_ Exy, so it’s the best of both worlds,” Kevin pulls Jeremy away by the hand, grinning. His heart thrums happily in his chest, a feeling that would have been impossible to imagine before Jeremy, before the Foxes. Jeremy’s radiant personality has rubbed off on him greatly, much to his friends’ bewilderment and gratitude.

“My god, that I don’t believe in,” Andrew deadpans and while watching the grossly happy couple get a head start, folds his armband clad arms across his chest hugged by a black tank top. “If either of you do that, I will _kill_ you.”

Neil snickers again, a bit sweaty in his thin blue t-shirt and armbands, looks up at Jean with a lustful gaze. The two of them gravitate toward each other, Neil’s hands gripping Jean’s lightweight black t-shirt and Jean’s hands on Neil’s ass, kissing each other passionately.

Andrew narrows his eyes on his (not)boyfriends, flicking out a knife to make good on his promise, but if he is being honest, he wants to join. However, Andrew Minyard is not an honest man when it comes to feelings at times and points it at the kissing pair that is now attracting attention to _them_. “One-” he starts to count, but-

“Stop being gay and catch up!” Jeremy shouts from half a block down, laughing at the stares this earns the group.

Andrew bristles and grabs Neil by the back of his t-shirt and drags him away from Jean, the Frenchman complaining about their tiny red-headed partner being pulled from his embrace.

 

\---

 

“You’re right, this is pretty nice,” Kevin admits to Jeremy, they are walking hand in hand along the wet sand where the water splashes up to mid-calf with each wave. The water is the perfect temperature and the sun is beating down on their toned backs, making them sweat but it isn’t uncomfortable. It feels really good, actually.

“I _told_ you!” Jeremy chirps happily, bouncing in front of Kevin, grabbing his hands and begins spinning them in a slow circle. “Now that I know you have yet to properly experience a proper Californian summer on the beach - we’re gonna do it all!” He sees the glimmer in Kevin’s eyes and grins jerking him close, arms wrapped around his middle. “Not like that babe - beach sex sounds fun on paper - but the sand gets _everywhere_ , believe me, you won’t enjoy it.”

“Well, there goes my plans for tomorrow night…” Kevin sighs, looking at the horizon wistfully before he side-eyes Jeremy with a sly smile. Jeremy’s bubbly personality really has rubbed off on him - or maybe it’s the environment mashed with his post-gold-winning high. Either way - “How are we going to compromise then?”

“Normally I’d teach you how to surf, but,” Jeremy grins. “I think I’m going to destroy you in a sand castle building competition.”

Kevin stares at his boyfriend for a solid ten seconds, unblinking. “A ‘sand castle building competition’,” he repeats. “How the hell is that a compromise? I’ve never even built a sand castle. I think I might have driven by a beach before though, yo-” Kevin is cut off by Jeremy pulling him down into a deep kiss - Jeremy's favorite way of stopping him from rambling - hands in his short black hair. When they part, Kevin has a hand in Jeremy’s hair - another gripping his ass. “You have my attention.”

Jeremy grins. “It’s a compromise because, whoever builds the best sand castle, gets to choose whatever we do tonight.”

Kevin’s eyebrows meet his hairline before he’s grinning and pecks Jeremy on the lips. “Alright, you’re on Jer. But… who is judging?”

"We'll figure that out later! Come on, we need supplies!" Jeremy grins and tugs Kevin back up the beach, where their friends are camped out, only to find Jean relaxed underneath their obscenely large umbrella that they rented, on a lounge chair -also rented- with a book in hand. Andrew and Neil are nowhere to be seen.

“Neil needed a break,” Jean offers when he catches the couple’s questioning looks, pulling his sunglasses down his nose to look up at them. Kevin clearly understands Neil’s issue with beaches and squeezes Jeremy’s hand before he can ask any questions. “I’m sure Andrew will bring him back with ‘refreshments’ soon. What did you want?”

“Jer challenged me to a sand castle building competition,” Kevin grins. “With my knowledge of historical castles, I’m going to beat him!” He promises confidently, scowling at Jean’s scoff.

Jean pushes his sunglasses back up his nose and looks at his book. “Day, you haven’t set foot on a beach in your entire life.”

Kevin rolls his eyes. “Can’t be that hard.”

He doesn’t appreciate Jean’s smirk or Jeremy’s stifled giggle.

 

~

 

It’s barely half an hour later when Andrew and Neil return to their partner with a cooler that they rented -filled with frozen treats, drinks and smoothies- plopping it down beside Jean's chair. Neil climbs onto Jean’s lap while Andrew kneels on a large towel to sort through the cooler.

“Kevin and Jeremy still out for a walk?” Neil asks, accepting a strawberry smoothie from Andrew and sips from the straw while staring at Jean expectantly. Andrew presents Jean with a peach mango smoothie before settling down with a pre-prepared bowl of ice cream.

“Nope,” Jean responds, popping the ‘p’ and sips his own smoothie. At Neil’s head tilt, he taps Neil’s hip, motioning with his smoothie further down the beach toward the water where people have begun to gather, drawing both of his partners’ attention.

When Andrew realizes what he’s looking at he rolls his eyes. “Idiots,” he mutters, eating a large bite of his delicious ice cream.

 

~

 

“Your sand is too wet,” a child, no older than five, offers bluntly.

Kevin, using one of the buckets and plastic shovels that he and Jeremy bought at a ridiculously overpriced stand on the beach to make his wet sand concoction. He tries to not scowl at the boy in Finding Nemo swim trunks and arm floaties.

“I realized that,” Kevin does respond, as nicely as possible, shoving more sand into the hole he dug to pour water into and realizes too late that he’ll need _more_ water now. He’s been trying to be nice to the people that came by to wonder what two Olympic gold medalists could be doing on their hands and knees in the sand under the sweltering sun but is frustrated with his lack of experience in what he’s doing.

It turns out, that sand castle building is harder than he thought.

“Want help?” Another child offers; a girl about seven years old in a Little Mermaid swimsuit. There is an older girl, about twelve behind her and the first boy, in a yellow polka dot bikini with a sheer white swim dress over the top.

Kevin looks up at the kids, eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses and then looks over to his boyfriend who is further away with a few people watching him merrily build a wall. There is a pile of sticks and seashells and seaweed next to him where he is working. Kevin looks down at his poor attempt to even get the wet sand mixture that Jeremy told him he would need and his wet lump of sand that was supposed to be the start of a wall, feeling very competitive. Jeremy hadn’t said anything about getting help.

“Yes - we’re going to build a better sand castle than Jeremy Knox!” Kevin shouts, sitting up on his knees, arms folded over his chest as he looks to the three children that laugh at his change of attitude. He points at the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Jacob! This is my sister Bella,” Jacob points to the younger girl and then the taller girl, “and my other sister Alice!”

“I’m Kevin,” he introduces himself and grins, feeling determined. “Now, I only expect the best from my team, can you give it your all?”

“Yes!” The kids promise, making Kevin grin even wider. He sees what must be the siblings’ mother off to the side, setting up their beach chairs and umbrellas, watching them with curiosity, but don’t say anything about their children approaching a strange man failing to construct a sand castle.

“Excellent!” Kevin nods and jumps to his feet, not noticing how the kids have to crane their necks to look up at him. “Alice, Bella, you are in charge of collecting materials for the sand castle and then you will help me and Jacob afterward. Jacob, help me get the sand to water ratio in order. You have your tasks, move on!”

“Okay!” They shout, trembling with excitement. Alice takes Bella’s hand and they head toward the water, looking for seashells and such. Jacob is already grabbing the bucket and looking up at Kevin expectantly.

“Let’s go, Jacob!” Kevin commands and they head to the water as well, the tall striker surprised when Jacob grabs his hand on the way there but doesn’t pull away.

 

~

 

Jeremy looks up from where he is building the second level of his sand castle, giggling at the sight of his boyfriend _clearly_ following the instructions of five year old. It’s too adorable to even feel upset that Kevin is getting help, especially when two more kids come over, arms loaded with their beach materials.

He falls in love, just a little bit more with his boyfriend, impressed that he’s working so well with kids and not yelling at them the way he does his teammates. It might have something to do with the fact he’s not the experienced one here, but the three kids are. Or… it might have something to do with dating Jeremy ‘sunshine and rainbows’ Knox, for three years.

Either way, he’s happy to see Kevin having fun and showing further growth in his personal sills.

Jeremy shakes his head fondly and adds sticks to stabilize his wall before finishing it and then gets up to get more water for his sand. He winks at an obvious fan, giving a peace sign to allow his picture to be taken and points over to where Kevin is.

“I think Kevin Day might be more fun to photograph right now!” He tells them before running off to the water.

On his way back, Kevin and the three kids have quite the audience and a slowly growing sand castle that they appear to be proud of.

 

~

 

An hour later, Kevin is standing with the three kids, staring down at their completed sand castle, drinking a pacific cooler Capri sun juice pouch. The kids all have one each, their parents offered it to him in thanks for being so nice to their kids and being thirsty he took it with a real smile, despite knowing how sugary the drink would be.

“I think we made an amazing sand castle,” Kevin tells them, nodding to himself.

“We did most of the work,” Alice nudges him. She looks down at the multi-tiered sand castle with a dual moat and bridges, decorated with a seaweed flag and sea glass and seashells. Kevin said he based it off of some famous castle in some ancient place or another - she didn’t really listen when she realized that he was giving a history lesson.

Kevin shrugs. “Well, I had a vision - you implemented it, I say we make a good team,” if he must say so himself. His smile isn’t for the fans, but pride for the kids and their creation, it does grow when he sees Jeremy approach him, beaming. “I think we won, Jer, I don’t even need to see yours, to know that!”

Jeremy laughs, walking around the sand castle, nodding to himself, rather impressed. “While your castle is quite amazing, I know mine is the winner!” He grins at his boyfriend, arms folded over his chest.

Kevin scoffs, turning up his nose. “Doubtful, this castle is-”

“With all due respect, Day,” Andrew interrupts, strolling up with Jean and Neil on either side of him, eating _another_ ice cream treat -this one on a stick- and cocks his eyebrow. “No one wants to hear you go on about how big of a history nerd you are.” They decided to come investigate when it looked like they were done.

Alice, Bella and Jacob giggle while Kevin looks genuinely offended. Jeremy grins wider. Neil and Jean smirk.

“Hey! Why don’t you three be the judges?” Jeremy suggests, motioning with his hand.

“I hardly think that’s fair!” Kevin complains, trying to get a look at Jeremy’s sand castle from this distance and glances at the grins on Neil’s and Jean’s faces. Oh boy.

“Oh, Day,” Jean tsks, “you cheated, give Knox an advantage. I mean, you had _professionals_ helping with your castle.”

“Day doesn’t know how to play by the rules,” Andrew drawls, shaking his head. “Come on Josten, Moreau,” he beckons, boredly walking around Kevin’s castle and eating his ice cream, scrutinizing every aspect of it.

Kevin sulks for a moment, but doesn’t argue any further and accepts a second Capri sun from the kids’ mother. He sips it noisily while following the ‘judges’ and his boyfriend to Jeremy’s castle when they are done, Alice, Bella and Jacob in tow, sipping their own drinks.

Kevin stares at Jeremy’s sand castle, unable to keep from smiling at how skillfully made it is - not professional competition level, but damn good and clear that he grew up on a beach. The walls are neat and the windows are well made and the decorations are well placed, it’s a very pretty sand castle. He does feel bad when he sees the frowns on the kids’ faces when they see how good it is as well. He looks to Jean, Neil, and Andrew observing it and whispering to each other.

However, Kevin does miss that Jeremy _also_ sees the dejected looks on the kids’ face and is confused when his boyfriend comes up to him, pulling him closer by his hand.

“What-” Kevin starts, only for his eyes to triple in size when he and Jeremy tumble on top of Jeremy’s amazing sand castle, startling everyone who was watching and taking pictures of the five USA team, exy Olympic gold medalists on their beach. The kids gasp in shock.

Jeremy begins laughing when they hit, despite feeling a seashell digging into his side, looking at Kevin who is shaking his head to remove the sand from his face where he hit. Beachgoers are laughing -because Jeremy is- and taking pictures of the pair, lying side by side in the destruction of Jeremy’s sand castle that he had worked on for roughly two hours.

“Welp looks like I am forced to forfeit!” Jeremy shouts, sitting up and grinning even wider - if that is even remotely possible.

“Let’s pretend that we don’t know them,” Jean sighs, shaking his head and walking away, pulling a smiling Neil along by his hand. Andrew rolls his eyes and follows his partners, finishing off his ice cream treat.

Kevin looks at his boyfriend, green eyes shining with curiosity. “Why did you-” He stops when given a chaste kiss -that earns more giggling- and grins, cause _oh_. “You gold-hearted fool.” Kevin teases and looks up at Alice, Bella, and Jacob. “It looks like _your_ sand castle won!”

The kids’ eyes shine and they laugh with excitement, tan skin glowing with pride as they smile.

“You know what the winners get?” Jeremy starts, getting to his feet with the help of Kevin, looking between the three wide-eyed kids who ask-

“What!?”

“Ice cream of course!” Jeremy promises, making the kids shout with excitement and looks over to their parents -who are still watching from afar- and smiles at the kids. “Let’s go tell your parents so you can collect your reward!”

As the three kids race over to their parents, Jeremy looks up at a very sandy and sweaty Kevin -knowing he must look the same- with a soft smile on his face. “Couldn’t take that away from them, _they_ did most of the work, you know.”

Kevin huffs and pulls his boyfriend over to where the kids are cheerfully telling their parents about how they won the competition -cause Kevin’s boyfriend said so- and what their reward is. “I know, Jer. You didn’t have to ruin _your_ sand castle though.”

“And miss the photo op that literally everyone in the exy world is probably looking at online right about now?” Jeremy scoffs playfully at Kevin’s eye roll. “But _you’re_ a winner too, Kev,” he reminds him, rainbow hazel eyes glittering playfully.

Kevin blushes at the indication and clears his throat, both thankful and frustrated that the three kids run over to them again, waving at their mother who gave them a gracious smile. “Let’s get that ice cream - or maybe frozen yogurt if they have i-”

“Ewww!” They stick their tongues out.

Kevin’s shoulders slump as his attempt for a healthier choice is shot down but does not argue, having given up on pushing the matter when he realized Jeremy loved ice cream just as much as Andrew did. You win some and you lose some. He looks down at his boyfriend and thinks about what he just told him.

It looks like he won in more ways than one.

 

~

 

“Can’t say we don’t know them now, Jean,” Neil hums, scrolling through his notifications on his phone. His twitter feed is exploding right now, as are Andrew’s and Jean’s.

Jean let’s out a string of curses in French as he checks his phone, book open face down in his lap. Andrew is shutting down his phone while devouring _another_ frozen treat.

“Well, it’s a good picture at least,” Jean mutters.

The top picture is one of Jeremy laughing and Kevin wide-eyed as the focus, while sprawled out in the aftermath of Jeremy’s sand castle, Jean pulling Neil away with Andrew trailing after them in the background. Numerous retweets and comments pop up about the five Olympic gold medalists, especially about Kevin and Jeremy.

The photo is titled - Kevin Day v. Jeremy Knox: Sand Castle Wars.

**Author's Note:**

> Kevin you cheater. THOSE CHILDREN ARE PROFESSIONALS. How dare you make Jeremy feel bad by having experience!?
> 
> LOL
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your gift, Fuzzball!
> 
> Kudos and Comments and greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ^_^


End file.
